When All Else Fails (LokiOC)
by Lady Wynters
Summary: Thor returns with Loki to carry out his setence on Earth, which SHIELD takes advantage off by imprisoning him on the Helicarrier once again. The Avengers are left to decide his fate, but one member can't help but notice that Loki's scepter is linked with not only Loki but anyone who goes near it. Can the Avengers proove his innocents before it's too late?


Chapter 1

It was barely a week gone since the incident in New York, since the attack of Loki and his alien army from a world unknown to both Mankind and the Gods of Asgard. The Avengers holiday was cut short, and the team was forced to regroup at the tower, their current Headquarters, swarmed by fans during the early afternoon hours, not long after lunch.

Eleanora Jones, better known as Haelstorm, watched the sun set on another gloomy day, the final day of evacuation. The Avengers supposed that was the reason why they got a holiday; the army wanted to evacuate the immediate area in peace, thus meaning no civilians trying to get photos taken with the Avengers, or getting autographs. As the final bus of civilians took the safest route out of the heart of the disaster area, Nora turned on her heel and headed out into the corridor, abandoning the comforts of her bedroom, and towards the elevator to the left.

"Where are the others?" She asked in an accent, not quite American, but not completely British, as she pushed her dark mahogany hair over her shoulders.

"They're all heading for level 8." Came the court reply of Jarvis, the AI of the Avengers Tower. His current main use was a GPS system for the newest members of the tower – mostly Steve who had trouble with the simplest of technology such as the holographic elevator buttons. But he was also great company, despite his wavering relationship with Stark.

"Thanks Jarvis." Nora replied, rolling her shoulders before aimlessly shoving her hands into her leather jacket pockets. Along with Banner, Nora didn't suit up like the rest of the team. Clint and Natasha had their SHIELD uniforms, Tony had his suit of metal and Steve had his good old fashioned outfit. Of course being a halftime-agent for SHIELD meant Nora had the matching suit but, she didn't feel inclined to wear it. Hence the leather jacket, jeans and the tank top. The boots were the only thing from SHIELD which she still wore, after falling in love with them somewhat when she agreed to join Fury's little band of agents. To this very day she remembers wearing them in while Phil Coulson gave her the tour of SHIELD's base. That base now being submerge god only knows how deep into the ground, thanks to the work of the Tesseract and Loki's first visit to Earth.

Leaving the elevator on level 8, Nora took a small and gentle stride to the meeting room, a very creative name suggested by Steve. The room was empty bar from the long, black table that ran almost the length of the room, with enough chairs to seat 6 on either side and one on each end. The room's purpose was decided before the team took a week of relaxation and moping around the safe and stable parts of the tower. However, Clint, Natasha, Bruce and Steve had the privilege of using those first few days moving small belongings from their homes to the tower. Thus being said, the room was completely white, its walls blank and its floor tiled with no sign of creativity such as a hint of a swirl pattern. Clint and Natasha, the more determined of the group, were already seated on the left side of the table, quietly conversing amongst themselves. Steve and Bruce had only just entered the room before Nora, stood opposite the SHIELD agents, and pulling their chairs out to sit down. Nora gave them a small smile as she walked towards them, Bruce returning the smile while Steve merely nodded at her, recognising her arrival.

"Where have you been?" Steve asked, earning a confused frown from Nora who looked over her shoulder to see Tony saunter in through the main door into the lobby. Tony, looking somewhat absent from a few drinks gave the signature Stark grin before pulling out the chair at the head of the table, closest to the door.

"Drinking and working on my suit. What about you Cap' doing 200 press-ups again?" Tony sneered as he got comfy in the leather chair he had claimed as his own from day one. He was dressed in a Black Sabbath shirt, most likely custom made, black trousers and black shoes. On his arm was a watch, which was a very peculiar thing indeed – no doubt he had a date with Pepper and didn't want to constantly ask Jarvis who would use sarcasm against him.

"Let's get to business shall we?" Clint said, turning away from Natasha after having ending their conversation and glaring at Tony. "Why did you send for us?" Obviously Tony had interrupted their training, once again.

"Actually Clint, it was me." Bruce piped up from the other end of the table. Nora's dark blue eyes glittered as she looked around the table, seating herself beside Bruce who had his hands locked together on the table. His hairy arms were exposed from his rolled up sleeves of his dark blue button up shirt. Bruce was wearing his typical long grey pants and brown shoes, his glasses no bout in their case, sat in one of his pockets. No longer bored from the idea of a speech from Stark, Clint and Natasha sat up straight and pulled close into the table.

"I don't know if any of you are aware but." Bruce paused as he shuffled in his chair, somewhat nervous and uncomfortable. "SHIELD is going to be sending Loki's Scepter to us. They want me and Stark to monitor it."

"Why?" Steve asked from Bruce's other side, his arms folded over the table as he leaned forward slightly. "You don't need to track the Tesseract anymore. It's on Asgard along with Thor and Loki."

"I don't know why." Bruce replied with a soft shrug, "All I know is that they don't trust anyone other than us to do it."

"I think we all know why they want us to do it. And why they only trust us." Tony snarled from the head of the table, looking pissed from the idea brewing in his mind.

"Why?" Nora asked, finally putting her voice into the conversation.

"They're not." Steve growled. "Bruce, don't. Whatever they say, reject the Scepter. Send it back to them, or better yet to Thor."

"SHIELD wants you to help make Phase 2 weapons without knowing you are. Aren't they?" Nora realized, her tired eyes falling on Tony, who had turned with his chair to face the wall. Staring at it as if it were a work of art, not that he cared for it.

"They're stupid that's what they are. I'm a genius – How could I not put 2 and 2 together?" Tony spat, swirling back around to face the group. "I think we should keep it here." Tony added with a determined frown.

"Why, so you can go back into the weapons market?" Steve retorted, leaning into the back of his chair, causing it to tilt backwards.

"No." Tony growled. "So we know who's around it AND so we know that they aren't experimenting on it."

"If we have it then they can't use it." Bruce realized aloud.

"Exactly. We can just TELL them we are conducting tests." Tony smiled, victorious once again.

"They'll want you to send proof and results back." Natasha intervened, leaning on her arms, now folded over the black table.

"So conduct small tests?" Nora suggested. "And only every so often."

"They'll get suspicious if you do." Clint said, relaxing in his chair as the problem slowly solved itself.

"Let them!" Tony exclaimed. "Have you seen how much of the area and the tower has been destroyed? We have a LOT of work to do, as much as I hate to say it."

"He's right." Natasha said, more to Clint than anyone else. "SHIELD won't be too bothered to start off with. As long as they see us getting somewhere with both the Scepter and the City."

"When's it getting here?" Clint asked, turning his attention back to Bruce who had gone quite.

"Well, considering there's a SHIELD helicopter about 5 minutes away." Tony smirked, his self made IPod touch device in hand.

"Tony and I will go and collect it and take it down to the main lab on level 4. Let us worry about it. We'll spend tomorrow setting everything up, and take days to keep an eye on it." Bruce said, rising from his chair and running his right hand through his black hair, looking messy as always.

"The rest of us should rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow." Steve suggested as Bruce met with Tony who slowly rose from his seat. The two waved absently to the group before leaving the meeting room and heading over to the nearest elevator to the landing pad 4 floors up.

"A lot to clean up you mean." Nora sighed. "Without Tony or the Hulk we won't be able to remove or dispose of the larger debris. We'll be left dragging alien corpses around and picking up their weapons."

"Well, someone has to." Steve shrugged.

"SHIELD should at least send some sort of squad to help us." Clint groaned.

"Well, there's us three." Nora laughed softly along with Clint and Natasha.

"I guess there is." Clint replied before heaving himself to his feet. "Best be off then. Gather up our strength for 'Toss the alien corpse.'" Clint cheered with fake enthusiasm, his take on 'Toss the dwarf' bringing a smile to everyone's lips.

"Night Clint, Nat." Nora waved at them with a soft smile before turning to Steve who also gave them a wave. He was the only one with a long sleeved shirt with the sleeves down. It was a baby blue colour, his pants black like Tony's, along with the black shoes. He noted her looking at him and turned to her, looking exhausted despite his lack for need of sleep.

"Long trip back to the tower?" Nora asked, crossing her legs. Steve chuckled, shaking his head softly.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"It should be here by now." Bruce said, crossing his arms and staring up at the night sky, ignoring a particularly red blip fly over him.

"Hold your Hulk Bruce, it's still got a minute left of flying." Tony sighed, pocketing his phone. Bruce ignored the joke and tapped his foot lightly on the concrete rim of the landing pad, a glass fence separating him from a VERY long fall. He turned, eyeing the glass before looking over at Tony, who had decided to stargaze alongside him. 'Style over practicality" He peered over the edge and shook his head softly."…and safety." Bruce thought, taking a step forward, away from the glass wall. With his hand along his forehead, Tony emphasised his point, "Here it comes," he chimed before retreating to a safe distance, Bruce walking alongside him. The helicopter was a typical black with S.H.I.E.L.D plastered on each side in white paint along with the eagle logo it had adopted.

"Right on schedule, nice timing Jarvis." Tony smirked, throwing Jarvis a small complement as the helicopter's blades slowed down. The pilot, all geared up pointed in their direction before giving someone behind him a thumbs up. Not a moment later an agent carrying a wooden crate with the cliché red inked 'Secret' stamped on the top and 'this way up', slowly made his way down and out of the helicopter, ever mindful of the small gap. Once he was out, he and Tony walked towards each other, Bruce keeping his distance as he watched with mild curiosity.

"Mr Stark!?" The agent asked, his spiky blonde hair poking out from under his helmet. Tony rolled his eyes, who else would he be? Santa Claus?

"Yeah!?" Tony yelled over the still particularly loud spinning blades from the helicopter.

"Fury sent this for you and Doctor Banner!"

"I know!" Tony yelled back. The agent, not questioning Tony, carefully handed the crate over, glad to be rid of it and its contents. Despite not like being handed things, Tony took the crate gladly and gave the agent a quick salute before retreating to Bruce's side. Neither of them stopped to watch the helicopter leave. Instead, like children at Christmas, the two raced down to their main lab, careful to not break into a run – which would either cause embarrassment or Tony's grip on the crate to falter.

Back in her bedroom on the 5th floor who she shared with Bruce, Nora stared out onto the deserted city one last time. Reflecting the alien attack led by Loki less than a week ago, Nora let her anger flow, and her eyes flash a light blue as she looked up at the sky. Lightning flashed in front of her, an act that she use to frighten herself with, before the rumbling thunder cackled in the sky. Dark clouds rolled in front of the moon, limiting its glow on the city bellow, still in discarded ruins. With a heavy sigh, Nora's hands curled into fists, her knuckles going white as she closed her eyes and she let the rain fall.

Tony and Bruce had only just set the crate down on the crystal white counter when the thunder roared outside. They shared an almost identical look of confusion before Tony rolled his eyes.

"Nora." He huffed, grabbing a rather large fat pen with a bulb on one end and a valve on the other. "Still pissed off about the city no doubt." Tony thought aloud, putting his free hand on the crate, the other flicking a small switch on the pen.

"Mmm…" Bruce agreed, frowning over Tony and at the small storm outside the window in front of him. The main science lab was a maze to anyone except the "Science Bros" who saw it as a playground of fun and games. Equipment covered both the counters, most of the tables and some of the floor appeared to be stranded. When really, they were all sitting in their right places after a day of the two friends, deciding on where to put them. Moving even the smallest of gadgets would cause catastrophe in the science labs thanks to the boys' OCD of their floors.

"Let's see what SHIELD has done to Loki's glow stick of destiny." Tony smirked as a red laser beam seared through the metal hatch on the wooden crate – Tony, ignoring the key in the metal pouch on the right side of the crate.


End file.
